Method and device for indirect cooling of heat sources of a system component of a visualization system

Abstract

For increasing the operational reliability of a system component such as a light source unit or a camera control unit of a visualization system, waste heat produced by at least one heat source, which is arranged in an interior of the system component that is closed off to the outside, preferably so as to be air-tight, is transported by a cooling line, which is arranged in the interior and is filled with coolant, and/or by using an internal air circulation effected with appropriately, to a primary heat sink arranged in the interior, and the waste heat is then released from the interior to the outside through the primary heat sink using heat conduction. An efficient cooling of the at least one heat source can be achieved thereby; in addition, the heat source remains largely protected from external ambient influences, in particular it remains protected against dust.

1 . A system component ( 2 ) of a visualization system ( 1 ), the system component comprising:
 at least one heat source ( 14 ) generating waste heat during operation;   a housing ( 3 ) with an interior ( 4 ) in which the at least one heat source ( 14 ) is arranged and which is closed off to outside; and   a fan ( 5 ) is arranged in the interior ( 4 ), with which an internal air circulation ( 16 ) within the interior ( 4 ) is effected.   
     
     
         2 . The system component ( 2 ) of a visualization system ( 1 ), the system component ( 2 ) comprising:
 at least one heat source ( 14 ) generating waste heat during operation; wherein   a housing ( 3 ) with an interior ( 4 ) in which the at least one heat source ( 14 ) is arranged and which is closed off to outside; and   at least one cooling line ( 29 ) filled with coolant arranged in the interior ( 4 ), with which the at least one heat source ( 14 ) is coolable;   a primary heat sink ( 15 ), an inner side ( 23 ) of which delimits the interior ( 4 ), the at least one cooling line ( 29 ) ends in each case at or in the primary heat sink ( 15 ); and   the at least one cooling line ( 29 ) does not completely penetrate a wall ( 33 ) of the interior ( 4 ) into a surrounding area.   
     
     
         3 . The system component ( 2 ) as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the system component ( 2 ) is:
 a camera control unit ( 6 ) and the at least one heat source ( 14 ) comprises electronic components,   
       or
 a light source unit ( 10 ) and the at least one heat source ( 14 ) comprises at least one light source ( 13 ). 
 
     
     
         4 . The system component ( 2 ) as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the system component ( 2 ) comprises a primary heat sink ( 15 ), which is in contact on an outer side with external ambient air and which can be impacted on an inner side with the internal air circulation ( 16 ), and at least one of an inner side ( 23 ) of the primary heat sink ( 15 ) is arranged in the interior ( 4 ) or an outer side ( 22 ) of the primary heat sink ( 15 ) is arranged outside of the interior ( 4 ). 
     
     
         5 . The system component ( 2 ) as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein the primary heat sink ( 15 ) is made of a thermally conductive material. 
     
     
         6 . The system component ( 2 ) as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the system component ( 2 ) comprises a cooling tunnel ( 17 ), which has an inflow opening ( 20 ) for introducing ambient air and an outflow opening ( 21 ) for discharging the ambient air which has heated up at the primary heat sink ( 15 ), and the primary heat sink ( 15 ) is formed as part of the cooling tunnel ( 17 ). 
     
     
         7 . The system component ( 2 ) as claimed in  claim 6 , further comprising a heat exchanger ( 24 ) through which the ambient air flows, is formed or arranged in the cooling tunnel ( 17 ), and the heat exchanger ( 24 ) provides a heat exchange surface ( 25 ) for releasing heat to the ambient air that flows through the cooling tunnel ( 17 ). 
     
     
         8 . The system component ( 2 ) as claimed in the  claim 7 , wherein the heat exchanger ( 24 ) is in thermal contact with the primary heat sink ( 15 ) so that heat from the primary heat sink ( 15 ) is transferable to the heat exchanger ( 24 ) by heat conduction. 
     
     
         9 . The system component ( 2 ) as claimed in  claim 2 , further comprising heat elements ( 27 ) on the inner side of the primary heat sink which protrude into the interior ( 4 ) increase a surface area of the heat sink. 
     
     
         10 . The system component ( 2 ) as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the primary heat sink ( 15 ) has cooling elements ( 28 ) on an outer side which are in contact with ambient air and bring about an increase in surface area to radiate heat from the primary heat sink ( 15 ) to the ambient air, and the cooling elements ( 28 ) on the outer side of the primary heat sink ( 15 ) are arranged in the cooling tunnel ( 17 ), and are aligned in a direction of an ambient air flow ( 19 ) flowing through the cooling tunnel ( 17 ). 
     
     
         11 . The system component ( 2 ) as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein at least one of a) the system component ( 2 ) comprises at least one electronic device ( 30 ) which is arranged in the interior ( 4 ) and is thermally connected to an inner side ( 23 ) of the primary heat sink ( 15 ) by at least one cooling line ( 29 ) filled with coolant, or b) a capillary structure is formed in an interior of the at least one cooling line ( 29 ), such that when the at least one electronic device ( 30 ) heats up, the coolant flows independently through the cooling line ( 29 ) such that waste heat of at least one of the at least one electronic device ( 30 ) or the heat source ( 14 ) is transported to the primary heat sink ( 15 ). 
     
     
         12 . The system component ( 2 ) as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the system component ( 2 ) comprises at least one electronic device ( 30 ), which is arranged in the interior ( 4 ) and on which at least one cooling element ( 28 ) which protrudes into the interior ( 4 ) is mounted. 
     
     
         13 . The system component ( 2 ) as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the system component ( 2 ) comprises at least one electronic device ( 30 ) which is located in the interior ( 4 ), and an internal air circulation ( 16 ) impacts the at least one electronic device ( 30 ). 
     
     
         14 . The system component ( 2 ) as claimed in  claim 13 , further comprising at least one air guide element ( 31 ) arranged in the interior ( 4 ), said air guide element ( 31 ) protrudes into the interior ( 4 ) and at least one of steers or accelerates the inner air circulation ( 16 ) in a direction of the primary heat sink ( 15 ), the at least one air guide element ( 31 ) divides the interior ( 4 ) into first and second subspaces ( 32   a ,  32   b ), and the at least one electronic device ( 30 ) is located in the first subspace ( 32   a ) within the interior ( 4 ) and the inner side ( 23 ) of the primary heat sink ( 15 ) is arranged in the second subspace ( 32   b ) within the interior ( 4 ). 
     
     
         15 . The system component ( 2 ) as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein the interior ( 4 ) is divided into first and second subspaces ( 32   a ,  32   b ) which are connected to each other via the air circulation ( 16 ) such that a second flow velocity of the internal air circulation ( 16 ) is present in the second subspace ( 32   b ), in which the inner side ( 23 ) of the primary heat sink ( 15 ) is arranged, which is higher than a first flow velocity of the internal air circulation ( 16 ) in the first subspace ( 32   a ), in which a plurality of the heat sources ( 14 ) to be cooled are located. 
     
     
         16 . A method for indirectly cooling at least one heat source ( 14 ) of a system component ( 2 ) of a visualization system ( 1 ), the method comprising:
 closing off an interior ( 4 ) of the system component ( 2 ), in which at least one heat source ( 14 ) is arranged;   generating an internal air circulation ( 16 ) that circulates only within the closed-off interior ( 4 ); and   transporting waste heat via the internal air circulation ( 16 ) from the at least one heat source ( 14 ) to an inner side ( 23 ) of a primary heat sink ( 15 ), with the inner side ( 23 ) arranged in the interior ( 4 ).   
     
     
         17 . A method for indirectly cooling at least one heat source ( 14 ) of a system component ( 2 ) of a visualization system ( 1 ), the method comprising:
 closing off an interior ( 4 ) of the system component ( 2 ), in which at least one heat source ( 14 ) is arranged;   removing waste heat from the at least one heat source ( 14 ) via a cooling line ( 29 ) filled with coolant only up to a primary heat sink ( 15 ); and   removing the waste heat from the closed-off interior ( 4 ) to outside via the primary heat sink ( 15 ) using heat conduction.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the heat source comprises a multiplicity of electronic devices ( 30 ) which are located in the interior ( 4 ) of the system component ( 2 ) which is closed off to be air-tight.